The Gospel Message
Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
- John 11:26
In this single verse containing Jesus' words, we find a statement and a question. No statement -- no question -- could be more important for every reader to consider.
Jesus stakes his own word and his own person on this promise -- if you are spiritually alive and put your trust and hope in him, then you will never die. That is quite a promise! Especially in the face of all the decay, destruction, and death with which we are surrounded on a daily basis. Is it possible to escape death, to defy the laws of nature? Jesus says it is. But not in our own strength, science, or ingenuity. Only in Jesus can we access the power of a never-ending life.
If Jesus is honest, if Jesus is wise, if Jesus is good then his assurance is peace-granting, hope-infusing, and pain-relieving. Believers do not pass away, but pass on to a better and eternal and abundant life. Christians do not die; they depart for home.
For now, we cannot see or experience or test or prove the promises of Jesus. We have to trust him -- that he is not just showing us the way, but is the Way; that he not only is telling the truth, but is the Truth; that he is not only speaking of life, but is the Life.
Jesus' question, then, could not be more important, or more pointed: do you believe Jesus? Do you trust in Jesus? To anyone, to everyone, to whomsoever puts their trust in Jesus and believes his word, the promise is yours. So live like you are going to live forever.
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